Ring out the Bells for Christmas

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Ring out the bells for Christmas

Author (attributed to): J. S. B. Hodges; Author (attributed to): E. A. Washburn
Tune: BELLS (Hodges)
Published in 31 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Ring out the bells for Christmas,
The happy, happy day,
In Winter wild, the Holy Child
Within a cradle lay.
O wonderful! the Saviour
Is in a manger lone;
His palace is a stable,
And Mary's arm His throne.

Chorus:
Ring out the bells for Christmas,
The happy, happy day,
Ring out the bells for Christmas,
The happy, happy day.

2 On Bethlehem's quiet hillside,
In ages long gone by,
In angel notes the Glory floats,
Glory to God on high!
Yet wakes the sun as joyous
As when the Lord was born,
And still He comes to greet you
On every Christmas morn. [Chorus]

3 Where'er His sweet lambs gather
Within this gentle fold,
The Saviour dear is waiting near
As in the days of old;
In each young heart you see Him,
In every guileless face
You see the Holy Jesus,
Who grew in truth and grace. [Chorus]

4 Then sing your gladsome carols,
And hail the newborn Sun;
For Christmas light is passing bright,
It smiles on every one.
And feast Christ's little children
His poor, His orphan call;
For He who chose the manger,
He loveth one and all. [Chorus]

Source: The Church Hymnal: containing hymns approved and set forth by the general conventions of 1892 and 1916; together with hymns for the use of guilds and brotherhoods, and for special occasions (Rev. ed) #656

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Author (attributed to): J. S. B. Hodges

Born: 1830, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England. Died: May 1, 1915, Baltimore, Maryland. Buried: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Son of composer Edward Hodges, John emigrated to America in 1845, and attended Columbia University and the General Theological Seminary in New York City. Ordained an Episcopal minister in 1854, he served at the Grace/Second Episcopal Church, Newark, New Jersey (1860-70), and was Rector of St. Paul’s, Baltimore, Maryland, for 35 years. His works include: The Book of Common Praise, 1869 The revised edition of Hymn Tunes, 1903 --www.hymntime.com/tch Go to person page >

Author (attributed to): E. A. Washburn

Washburn, Edward Abiel, D.D., was born April 16, 1819; graduated at Harvard, 1838; studied theology at Andover and New Haven, and entered the Congregational ministry. In 1844, having been ordained in the Protestant Episcopal Church, he became Rector of St. Paul's, Newburyport, Mass., where he remained till 1851. Spending 1851-52 in Europe, on his return he became Rector of St. John's, Hartford, 1853-62, and Professor of Church Polity in Berkeley Divinity School, Middletown, Connecticut; also Rector of St. Mark's, Philadelphia, 1862-65; and Calvary, New York, 1865-81. He died Feb. 2, 1881. His works include Social Law of God, 1874, and translations of Latin hymns. A selection from his poems was published in New York in 1881. Some of his t… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Ring out the bells for Christmas
Title:	Ring out the Bells for Christmas
Author (attributed to):	E. A. Washburn
Author (attributed to):	J. S. B. Hodges
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain